MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

Results tagged ‘ Seattle ’

The Cubs did take batting practice on Sunday but shortened the session.

“I let the hitting coach decide today if we wanted to hit or not,” Lou Piniella said. “I think he’s cut it down some. I’ve always subscribed to that theory that at times, less is more. Just relax. let your ability take over and play.”

The Cubs did not hit prior to Saturday’s game, but part of the reason was the early start time. They won, although they also stranded 17 baserunners.

“When I managed in Seattle, we used to go to Detroit and take batting practice and we used to hit balls over the roof and I had [Ken Griffey Jr.], and [Jay] Buehner and Edgar [Martinez] and we’d hit balls over the roof, and I couldn’t wait for the game to start and we’d lose 5-2 with three infield singles. So, we decided get on the bus at 5:15, 5:30 and go to the ballpark and not take any batting practice and go play, and we scored nine or 10 runs.”

WGN Radio analyst Ron Santo will miss the Cubs’ upcoming Interleague series against the Seattle Mariners and skip the trip back to his hometown. Santo was looking forward to the series because it would give him a chance to see family and friends in Seattle.

“I have to start thinking about the travel,” Santo said Sunday. “This time, it has to do with my leg.”

A diabetic, Santo has had both legs amputated below the knee because of complications with the disease. There is a bone in his left leg that is rubbing a nerve and he feels it when he walks.

“When I walk from the press box to the elevator [at Wrigley Field], lately, it’s been bothering me,” he said. “I use 55 percent of my energy with these legs. When it’s hot, it’s tough.”

His sister still lives in Seattle but he will miss the three-game series and rejoin the Cubs Friday when they face the White Sox in the final Interleague series.

“Both [WGN] Radio and the Cubs want me around — and I want to be around,” Santo said. “It’s therapy for me. When I’m up there [in the broadcast booth] I don’t think about anything except moaning and groaning.”

Santo, who turned 70 in February, doesn’t hide his emotions during the broadcasts. There’s been a lot of moaning and groaning this season watching the Cubs.

He also said he’s considering missing a few more of the Cubs’ upcoming trips. The longer flights make it difficult for Santo to stay on his medicine and workout routine. Next year, Santo said he may only travel to the games in the Midwest.

Milton Bradley didn’t want to talk about the Cubs or the past during a 10-minute conference call with the media Friday. Bradley was dealt to the Mariners for pitcher Carlos Silva and said he’s always enjoyed the city of Seattle.

Asked how important it was to get a fresh start, Bradley said he just looked forward to playing baseball again “in a positive environment, good atmosphere, good group of guys. It should be fun.”

What went wrong with the Cubs?

“You know, I’ve already moved forward,” he said. “I made a statement about Chicago. I’m a Seattle Mariner. Chicago’s a thing of the past. I’m not interested in rehashing old news.”

He is looking forward to playing with Ken Griffey Jr., who, Bradley said, was one of two players he ever wanted an autograph from. The other was Barry Bonds.

Bradley didn’t have a list of teams he wanted to be traded to.

“I didn’t request anything,” he said. “It became apparent to me that I was going to be traded to someone at some point. I didn’t really keep track of anything. I knew there were some teams out there. Seattle had been mentioned at some point. It kind of happened quickly.”

The Cubs apparently have pulled off a shocker, trading volatile outfielder Milton Bradley to the Mariners for pitcher Carlos Silva.

The deal will be made official once Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig approves the transaction because of the money involved.

SI.com reported the two teams were talking, and the Seattle Times reported the deal on Friday. Silva has two years remaining on a four-year, $48 million contract which he got prior to the 2008 season from former Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi.

Bradley is owed $21 million over two years — $9 million in 2010 and $12 million in 2011. Silva has $25 million remaining — $11.5 million in both 2010 and ’11 and a $2 million buyout on a 2012 option.

According to the Seattle Times, Silva no longer has a role on the Mariners. He was 4-15 in 28 starts in 2008, and 1-3 with a 8.60 ERA in eight games (six starts) last season.

Bradley batted .257 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs for the Cubs this season, but was suspended for the final 15 games for detrimental conduct.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in about two months, and Milton Bradley is still with the Cubs. FOX Sports reports the Rays, Rangers and Mariners are still interested in Bradley but no deal is close. The Cubs and Rays have been talking about swapping Bradley for Pat Burrell, but Tampa Bay wants GM Jim Hendry to agree to pick up a large part of the second year of Bradley’s contract. The Rangers are a longshot. Bradley’s time in Texas didn’t end on good terms. The M’s could be hesitant to take on a controversial player like Bradley. They recently added Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee.

The sticking point, as we’ve reported before, is the $21 million Bradley is owed over the next two years. The Cubs don’t want to pay any of that, and they don’t want to release the volatile outfielder.

Matt Capps could have a new team by Christmas. The free agent closer apparently plans on picking five or six teams as finalists by the weekend, then making a decision as to where he wants to pitch. Capps, who was not tendered arbitration by the Pirates, has been approached by several teams, including the Cubs. He’d like to close, but Capps’ agent Paul Kinzer told FOX Sports that he’d accept a set-up role with a contender. Besides the Cubs, the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Rangers, Rockes, Marlins, Nationals, Mets, Tigers and Yankees are interested in the right-hander.

Capps, 26, had 27 saves this season with the Pirates, appearing in 57 games. He walked 17 and struck out 46 over 54 1/3 innings.

Traffic cops apparently are on on the lookout for jaywalking Chicago baseball officials. Lou Piniella was stopped by a San Diego police officer Tuesday and issued a warning for jaywalking. The Cubs manager said he had finished lunch, and was walking between Fifth and Sixth Streets in the Gaslamp District, talking to his son on the phone and looking for someplace to get his hair trimmed. He heard a police siren, saw the motorcycle and tried to get out of the way. That’s when he discovered the cop was after him.

“I thought they were after somebody and it was me,” Piniella said.

The police officer apparently didn’t recognize Piniella, who was issued a warning. He got off much easier than White Sox GM Kenny Williams who was stopped Aug. 10 in Seattle for illegally crossing a street away from a crosswalk outside Safeco Field. Williams was on his cell phone after exiting a cab and on his way into the stadium. A traffic control officer stopped Williams and wrote him a $56 ticket.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.